HUNNEMAN: Concert to help send MVHS band to Washington D.C.

The Murrieta Valley Crimson Cadets and Color Guard will perform in Washington, D.C. to help commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day. -- COURTESY PHOTO

They are this close but need some help to push them over the top.

The Murrieta Valley High School Band and Color Guard have been invited to represent the State of California in Washington D.C. at the National Festival of the States.

On May 22 the group of students and parents, 163 strong, will travel to the nationâ€™s capital where they will spend five days and participate in the National Memorial Day Parade. They will also perform at the United States Air Force Memorial, Armed Forces Retirement Home and Lincolnâ€™s Cottage.

While there they will also visit many of the historic sights.

The trip is particularly compelling this year as the nation marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion which began on June 6, 1944.

Band members and their parents have been raising money for the trip. So far $200,000 has been collected. They need about $50,000 more.

â€śItâ€™s been a year of fundraisers,â€ť said band director Neil Anderson. Car washes, car shows, concerts and walk-a-thons have all helped to raise most of the needed money.

The final push is on and the band has something planned everyone can enjoy.

The â€śSongs for America: A Bon Voyage Concertâ€ť is set for May 3 at the gym at Murrieta Valley and will feature the same program the Crimson Cadets will perform in Washington, D.C.

â€śThe program is as red, white and blue as they come,â€ť said Anderson. Music will include a tribute to the armed forces and also songs from the soundtrack of the movie â€śSaving Private Ryanâ€ť which opens with a re-creation of the Invasion of Normandy.

The event includes an All-American barbecue and apple pie for desert, Anderson said.

Adult admission is $15 with $12.50 the cost for seniors, veterans and children under 12.

You can RSVP for the event at www.mvhsband.net . No tickets will be sold at the door.

The invitation to Murrieta Valley band came from the United States Department of Defense, Office of Commemorations.

A decade ago, when Anderson was the band director at Bonita Vista High School in Chula Vista, that schoolâ€™s band was invited to play at the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Anderson said the invitation for Murrieta Valley to play this year â€ścame out of the blueâ€ť after someone saw the Crimson Cadets perform and knew of the directorâ€™s connection to the dedication ceremony a decade ago.

â€śWe went to all the stakeholders, the students, parents, school officials, and asked do we want to do this,â€ť he said.

The answer was a resounding yes.

Now, with their yearlong goal in sight, Anderson is hopeful the upcoming concert, along with another fundraising activity, will send the group on their way to represent their school, the community and the region.

Another way to help these students and also honor a loved one is to purchase an â€śHonoring The Past Veteran Remembrance Ribbon.â€ť Each ribbon will be printed with the veterans name and will be a color representing that military man or womanâ€™s branch of service.

The ribbons, which are $20 each, will be worn by band and color guard members during each of the performances in Washington D.C. Upon their return, the ribbons, along with a certificate and an 8x10 inch color photo of the group taken in front of the U.S. Capitol, will be presented to the supporters.

More information is available at the website or by contacting Anderson at MVHS at 951-696-1408.

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